Retaining ring for spinning-box lids



June 17, 1930. 1. MEU RUN 1,765,239

RETAINING RING FOR srinume BOX 1.112s

Filed Dec. 22, 1928 INVEN'ROR [VAR 'MEURLING as is used in the PatentedJune 17, 1930 IVAR MEURLING, or RID'LEY PARK,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE VISCOSE COMPANY, OF MARCUS HOOK,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA RETAINING RING- FORSPINNING-BOX LIDS Application filed December 22, 1928; Seria1 No.327,900.

This invention relates to a device for holdlug-a lid in position on aspinning box such manufacture of rayon and thelike.

The simplest and the preferred form of lid fora spinning box is onewhich rests on a ledge on the inner wall of the box near its upper openend. The cover is then easily put in place and is equally easilyremoved, thus saving time in filling and emptying the box. While the boxis being rotated, it is necessary to hold the lid securely in place.

While many lid retaining devices are known, none has been found which isunaffected, in its function of holding the lid securely in place, bythecentrifugal forces developed by the'rotation of the box. Theimportance of this factor will be appreciated when it is considered thatthese boxes are turned at from six to nine or more thousand revolutionsper minute and that at such speeds the effect of centrifugal force mustbe considered even with reference to parts Whose mass is slight.

The object of this invention is to provide a device which will hold thelid on the box at high speeds of the order indicated, and whoseeffectiveness will not be impaired by i the centrifugal force incidentto such speeds.

It is an'object as well to provide a device such as that just mentioned,which also may be manipulated to secure and to release the lid withgreat ease and without material loss of time. t

A preferred embodiment of the invention is describedhereinafter and isillustrated in the accompanying drawing. In the draw: ings,

'Fi ure lis a top plan view of a spinning box s owing the securingdeviceinposition to hold the lid on the box.

Figure 2 is 'a view inelevation of the same box with a part shown insection, the section.

being taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The spinning box 10 may be of any suit able design. On the inner walland near the open end of thebox is a ledge 11 extending 'fully aroundthe box. The lid 12 which is a flat annulus rests on the ledge 11. Justabove the ledge is a groove 13, approximately semi-circular in crosssection, extending the lid.

rim 14 of the groove is flush with the uppersurface of the cover or inother words it is spaced from the ledge 11 the thickness of *To securethe lid in place on the ledge, I provide a split ring 15 formed fromapiece of spring metal, circular in cross section, Whose total lengthis, not less than the length of the shortest circumference of the groove13. In the form shown, this shortest circumference is that of the rim 14Where the groove meets the inner wall of the box.

' The spring has portions which rest in the groove 13 and other portionswhich rest on the cover 12 holding it securely on the ledge. The ring iscorrugatethbeing made up of a number of curves or arches which arepreferably. rathersharp at the portions 16 which engage'the groove,These curves not only take up the excess length, permitting the ring tofit in the groove, but they also provide the laterally extendingportions 17 which rest on the lid. 7

While the ring as a whole is described as being of spring metal,- shortlengths of it are rigid and thus there is no tendency on the part of thelateral portions 17 to bend out grooves and the consequent reaction ofthe I lateral portions 17 against the lid is ample to hold the lid inplace. v

The split in the-ring is made at a groove engaging portion and the endsof the ring piece are extended toward eachother as at 18 so that theyhave a good engagement with the groove. The spring ofthe material isonly such as to give a tendency for the adjacent ends 18 to separatethus putting the Whole ring under compression when itis in place. Theexpansive tendency then serves to maintain the portions 16 in engagementwith the groove.

When the box is rotated at the speeds customarily-used for spinning therayon, there is a considerable centrifugal force created by reason ofeven-the small mass of the ring.

est circumference of the groove. As a COI'OIllary of this, the: circlewhich the ring tends to conform to, under the influence of thecentrifugal force at high, speed, has a circumfere-nce greater than thesmallest circumfer.

ence of? the groove, Stated differently, thex effective length of rod.inany arcuate por:-"

tion of. the ring-exceeds thelength of the corresponding are of thegroove 13, by which is meant. the arcuate. length of groove engaged bythe ring portion in question. The. result upon the device itself is thatthe ring engages the groove more tightly as the speed increases thanwhen the box is at rest. The groove resists the tendency of the ring tobecome a true circle in form and so it maintains the lateral portions ofthe ring which rest over the lid.

This construction of ring is found to be particularly satisfactory inthat its effectiveness becomes greater as the speed increases and'alsoin that the ringis' very easily removed to release the lid by; simplymoving one ring end toward .the center until enough of the ring is freeofthe groove to permit it to be lifted away from the box. To facilitatethe removal of the ring, the inwardly bent arch 15 near the split isbent upwardly from the lid-and therefore it may be grasped more readilythan if it rested on the lid. The upwardlybent portion for this purposeis a known expedient, having been used with certain forms of four-cornerrings. While I am not aware that it has ever been the fact,

it'is conceivable that such an upward loop with a four corner'or similarring might be large enough to make the total length of rod forming thering greater than the size of the groove, yet neither the underlyingthought here nor the result attained by this invention would bepresent.- I therefore use the expression the effective length of thering to denote the length that must not be less'than the circumferenceof the groove.

In the form shown here it is the length of the projection of the ring inthe plane of the groove since-the projected length is not affected bycurvature away from that plane.

It will be observed that the inwardly di-,

rected arches 19 are of such curvature and of such number that theyoffer good resistance to the tendency of the ring portions to conform toa common circle. When the number of such arches is about twelve as shownhere the span of each one is slight and hence each is more rigid. Underthese conditions,

the length of the ring may be substantially equal to the smallestcircumference of the" groove since the relative rigidity of the shortarches is such that the ring can not become a true circle at the speedshere concerned. The preferred construction however is one based on theconcept thatthe effective length of the ring be greater than thecircumference of the wall at the ring engaging region, for then thenumber of curves is not m'aterial.

I wish to include within the scope of the protection givenme all novelfeatures disclosedv herein and all such variations of the disclosedembodiment as come within the fair scope of the following claims.

1 I claim 1. In a spinning box for rayon or the'like having an open end,a ledge on the. inner peber of curves forming groove engagingportionsand lateral portions for resting over the lid, said ring having aneffective length not less than the length ofthe circumference of the boxwall at the ring engaging region. p

3. A split retaining ring adapted to rest over the lid of a spinning boxand to engage the wall of said box, said ring having relatively rigidinwardly directed arches to the number of about twelve, the effectivelength of said ring being not less than substantially equal to thecircumference of said box at the ring engaging region.

4. A corrugated split retaining ring for a spinning box, said ringhaving an effective length exceeding the circumference of the part .ofthe box wall engaged by the ring. 5. A corrugated split retaining ringfor a spinning box, the effective length of rod in any arcuate portionofthe said ring exceeding the lengthof the corresponding arc of the boxwall engaged by the ring..

In testimony whereof I have signed-my V name to this specification.

IVAR MEURLING.

